pros and cons cary cinema 6 vs b&k ref 50 (v1). Need opinions (1 Viewer)

[Todd smith]

Can get a new v1 ref 50 locally for $1500.00 (had to work to get him down even this low)or the dealer I bought my amp from has the cary cinema 6 which he will let go for $2000 which he says is a much better piece. I had the sherbourn pt-7000 before so I figure either will be an upgrade. What are the pros and cons of these two pieces as far as flexibility and features. I know sound is subjective, but does anyone have any experience with these two?

 

[ChrisHeflen]

Todd, I probably shouldn't be posting as I have never personally used these peices. Demoed the Ref50 in a store and my friend bought one for 30 min. ...
Which brings me to my point.
The Ref50 IMHO has a great feature set, better than the Cary. My friend who bought one, hooked it up, set it up, had pops and clicks right outta the gate. So bad, he feared for his speakers. This has been widely talked about on a few forums. Some people haven't had the problem though. B&K finally acknowledged the issue and offered an update to the software, but the success has not been determined. Rumor has it that they are launching a newer model, but who knows when. Which is another thing. They really drag their heels upgrading their "upgradable pieces". Which is too bad all together because it sounded nice to me and from what I've read, to alot of others.
The Cary has been getting great reviews for sound, and they have an excellent pedigree. It just seems to fall short in the features category imho.
I say try them both. It sounds like you would be getting a good deal on either piece.
I wouldn't buy the B&K unless THE DEALER has it upgraded to the latest software version without additonal cost to you.
Good luck
Chris

 

[George_W_K]

I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't have to deal with the pops and clicks. However, at the last meet at my place, we used a Bravo D1 to demonstrate a DVI connection and it DID produce the pops and clicks. It was very annoying, but like I said, I don't have this problem with my equipment.

Anyway, the new version of the Reference 50 is coming soon. It'll be called the Series II. Here's some things posted about it by Ralph at the HTSpot...





Regarding the clicks and pops issues being resolved with firmware upgrades, I believe there are far less people with these problems now.

I'm sorry I can't comment on the Cary piece since I don't have any experience with it.

 

[Randy C Sr]

I had a Ref 20 and bought a Ref 50 instead of having the Ref 20 upgraded. Personally I like the Ref 50. I do not get and pops. Clicks, yes. The clicks are no more than an audible sound when you change the source or audio mode. B&K said they can remove it, but I like the idea of the click which for me confirms what I wanted or selected happened. The sound quality is excellent. It is very versatile in letting you rename inputs and fine tuning the speaker and EQ settings. I also recently connected it to my PC which allows me to do all the setups from there and upload it to the B&K. You can also control it from your PC, including turning it Off or On. I have no experience with the other piece you mentioned.